


What starts well, ends well

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, girl idk what the hell is this, i am so sorry this is a mess, or that was the fucking intention, rich kids au, turns out i cant write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:14:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24221893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: A story in three parts: Na Jaemin being a cute kid, Na Jaemin being an angsty teenager and Na Jaemin being a stupid almost adult.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 51
Collections: RENMIN FIC FEST: ROUND ONE, anonymous





	What starts well, ends well

**Author's Note:**

> RM#034: rich kids renjun and jaemin who hate each other keep getting set up on dates by their mothers... so when renjun comes back from finishing hs in china to korea for college... why does jaemin suddenly feel a slight change in how he views him?

Jaemin remembers his first time meeting Renjun. 

Jaemin's five, and he's starting to lose his first tooth. It's moving, just a little bit, and Jaemin's scared that if it falls it won't grow back like his mom promised it does. His mom's not good with promises, just like she had promised she was going to take him to the park to play but instead, he found himself in a gigantic house, on a playdate with a boy his age, Renjun.

"This is Renjun, Jaemin. He's new in the neighborhood so I thought you could come and play with him." His mom says when he introduces him, voice as sweet as her smile. She pauses and then adds, "I thought you could be his first friend in Korea". Jaemin lights up at that, a grin stretching across his face. He likes making friends, and being someone's first friend sounds very important. Jaemin's five, he's almost grown up, he can handle important work like being someone's first friend.

"Hi, Renjun!" He beams at the boy in front of him. Renjun's a bit taller than him, not by much but a few centimeters make a big difference when you are five like them. He makes a face Jaemin can't decipher when he hears his name coming out from Jaemin's lips, but he returns the smile.

"Hi, Jaemin! You can call me Injun if Renjun's too hard." Renjun returns the greeting, enunciating every word slowly, scared that he will make a mistake. Jaemin's mother hasn't told him where Renjun is from so he tries to take a guess. "Are you from China, Injun?" He asks, the name Injun slipping easily from his tongue. Just as Renjun has said, Injun is much easier to pronounce. Renjun smiles at him and just nods enthusiastically.

They spend the rest of the evening playing with the toys Renjun's parents had to bribe him with so he would accept the move from China to Korea without throwing a tantrum. And when they leave, after having dinner with the Huangs Jaemin tells his mother on the way home "Mom, I had so much fun with Injun. I think we will be friends." His mom smiles at that, she can tell.

And they do become friends, the best of friends. 

Jaemin is charming and popular, and Renjun is hot-headed and impulsive. While Jaemin is all talk and smiles, he's also a bit of a pushover (Renjun learns that word from his mom and when his mom explains the meaning, his first thought is Jaemin is a pushover. He always let people off a little too easily, backs away from a fight too quickly). And Renjun does most of the dirty work, only when he sees people taking advantage of Jaemin. Jaemin is nice and sometimes, he's too nice, Renjun keeps the people that try to hurt Jaemin in check. Jaemin always tries to stop Renjun, but there's no use, and Jaemin is grateful, sometimes, that Renjun can't be stopped that easily. He's grateful for Renjun.

"You know I don't know what I would do without you sometimes." They are lying on Renjun's bed, looking up the ceiling. Jaemin turns on his side and looks at Renjun.

"Sure you wouldn't" Renjun doesn't turn, he keeps looking up at the ceiling, extending his arm as if he could reach it.

"I'm serious, Injun! You are my best friend!" Jaemin says, emphasizing on best friend. He is serious even though he sounds like a toddler whining for attention, Renjun is his best friend.

"I'm telling Jeno you said I was his best friend! No take backs!" Renjun jumps up excitedly, pointing a finger at Jaemin. Jaemin sits up too, smiling as he raises both his hands as people do in movies when they are innocent. "No take backs." Renjun smiles back at him.

After what feels like an eternity, Renjun says "You are my best friend too, Nana." It's said softly, and Jaemin can barely hear it. Renjun is blushing up to his ears and Jaemin internally coos at that. Renjun is cute, Renjun is always so cute. Renjun meets his eyes and immediately looks away, suddenly really interested in his hands. 

"We should go look if Kun ge finished his homework and can play with us!" Renjun suddenly says, running out of the room, apparently very interested in playing with his older cousin. Jaemin runs after him.

When they are 12, they start middle school and they get into their biggest fight. In that order. It's not like they don't fight, Jaemin is stubborn but so is Renjun, and most of the time they bicker for the dumbest things like there's no tomorrow. One time, they even went a week without talking to each other because Renjun insulted one of Jaemin's plushies. In the end, Renjun ended up apologizing because he didn't want to spend another lunch without eating Jaemin's cookies. Jaemin had smiled at that. But this fight is different, Jaemin remembers yelling and actual physical fighting. From that moment onward, their friendship changes. Mainly because it doesn't exist anymore.

They still hang out, mostly out of obligation. Their parents are basically best friends who love meeting up to do family things, and they have the same friend group which seemed like a good idea before but now it's just uncomfortable. The first few days after their fight, there's this hostility in the air every time they are in the same room. Everyone shrugs it off. They are Renjun and Jaemin, they will make up. But days pass, days turn into weeks, and then weeks turn into months and Jaemin and Renjun won't stop insulting each other every time they are in the same vicinity, every single time they are in each other' radius. It's annoying, their friends conclude. They keep up the being friends act in front of their parents much better than with their friends, well if not killing each other on sight can be called being friends.

A year passes, and countless families' vacations happen in between that time. They keep it up until they can't anymore. Renjun is hot-headed, everyone knows that. It's easy to get him angry, and Jaemin breathing in front of him is just about the easiest way of making him snap, unfortunately for their friends. 

The last straw happens on a Friday, Jaemin remembers that much. Jaemin is sweaty after practice, and he's waiting for the rest of the group to finish their activities to walk back home with at least one of them. Renjun is the first one to arrive, and he's alone which doesn't happen much, if ever. He leans on the wall, a few meters away from Jaemin. They both are standing alone in silence, it's awkward.

Renjun grabs his phone and starts recording an audio for someone in Chinese, and Jaemin catches a few words "alone" "idiot" "jaemin". 

"Who are you calling an idiot, Huang?" He confronts him. They are not even on first name basis anymore, he doesn't get to call him an idiot, less in front of him.

Renjun looks over to him, confused but then his expression quickly changes to one that's condescending as ever. "You. Who else?" He sounds smug, and Jaemin wants to punch him. 

Jaemin doesn't throw a punch, but he snaps. Things happen too fast, and insults fly out of each others' mouths as if they were missiles. Each hitting deeper and deeper.

"I just want you gone of my fucking life, Huang. Meeting you was the worst thing that has happened to me." This is the last straw. Everything seems to stop at that moment, and Jaemin sees a flash of hurt in Renjun's eyes. Jaemin almost regrets saying that, except he's angry and fired up and the adrenaline coursing through his veins isn't letting him think straight. He's only focusing on hurting, as much as Renjun is hurting him.

"Okay, fucking fine. You want me out of your life? Fucking done." Jaemin swears he sees a tear as Renjun turns his back on him and leaves. 

Jaemin leaves too. He doesn't feel like walking home with someone anymore.

The next day, everything goes back to normal. Except Renjun isn't even looking at him anymore, not even to insult him. When Jaemin insults him, Renjun insults back, tongue full of venom, words so piercing that Jaemin feels his heart ache, slightly, but he hides it well.

A few weeks later, Renjun is announced to be transferring schools, he's going back to China. And Jaemin feels his heart ache again. 

The day Renjun leaves, Jaemin sees him off at the airport with the rest of their friends. When everyone goes up to hug Renjun goodbye, Jaemin stays behind. He doesn't want to say goodbye, then it feels too real. As Renjun goes, he turns back once and his eyes meet Jaemin's. This is all the goodbye he's getting and he's fine with it (he's not but whatever, it doesn't matter).

Now, years later, he's at this stupid party but so is Renjun. He doesn't even know what the party's about, he doesn't even remember if he ever got an invitation to this party but showing up with Mark includes privileges such as never being asked if he's on the guest list. It must be at least somewhat important for Renjun to be there, though. Renjun rarely shows up to events, he's private like that.

Renjun's standing just a few meters away from him, back facing Jaemin, talking to a girl their age. Her name is Wang Yiren, the Wang's youngest daughter and little princess. Jaemin remembers her from high school, she was sweet, always trying to make everyone feel included, even the scholarship kids.

Suddenly, Yiren spots him. She smiles even more if that's possible, and signals him to come over. Jaemin's always been told he has a nice smile but he's sure Yiren could give him a run for his money, her smile is contagious and he smiles back. He walks over to where they are confidently, even when Renjun turns back to look to who is Yiren signaling and meets his eyes with shock. Jaemin can't control himself, he smirks at the shook in his eyes.

"Hey." Jaemin takes a look at Renjun, he looks good.

"Hey, Jaemin! This is Renjun, I don't know if you two have met. And Renjun, this is Jaemin we went to high school together." Yiren greets him enthusiastically, introducing them both. 

"Actually, we know each other," Renjun says before Jaemin can, Yiren looks between both of them confused. And then her face shifts as if realizing something. "Oh." 

And then she repeats. "Oh" Renjun and her look at each other as if speaking a silent conversation. "Well, I just remembered I had to meet Serim for…" Jaemin watches as she tries to come up with an excuse to get out of there, Renjun is glaring at her. "... something. Yes, I have to go home. Bye!" She starts to walk away before any of them can stop her from running away.

Renjun mutters something under his breath in Chinese. Jaemin's Chinese is not as good as it used to be but he still catches an "I'm going to kill her". 

"So, Huang." Renjun looks at him, one eyebrow carefully raised. He looks so pretty under the lights. Jaemin pauses, he doesn't know what to say. "You are back." 

"Yes, I am back." Renjun is almost smiling, mocking the way Jaemin is pausing at every word. "What? Miss me?" He's most definitely mocking him now. But there's no malice in his words, it's as if they never ended up in bad terms.

"Yes." Jaemin answers him way too quickly, his mouth works way faster than his brain. And now, Renjun's the one left without words. Jaemin sees color rise to Renjun's cheeks, and smiles to himself.

They stand next to each other in awkward silence for a few minutes before Renjun speaks.

"This is so boring," Jaemin says, trying to start a conversation. Something, anything. Renjun turns to look at him, a glint in his eyes.

"I know a place we can sneak out to." Then he pauses, realizing what he's saying. He's offering Jaemin to spend time with him. "If you want to, of course." He explains himself, trying to hide his blush the best he can. But Jaemin knows him, even after all those years, he can read Renjun like an open book. And Renjun is most definitely nervous. 

So Jaemin gets brave for a second and takes Renjun's hands. "Take me then." Renjun looks surprised but doesn't drop his hand, he holds onto it. "Okay."

They get out of the party and Renjun takes him through some corridors and stairs, they are heading for the basement. They are still holding hands. Finally, they arrive in front of a door. Renjun picks the lock and soon enough Jaemin finds himself in a wine cellar.

"Woah, whose wine's collection are we breaking into?" Jaemin asks and Renjun looks at him amused.

"My aunt's, who else's?" 

"Your aunt?" Jaemin is half scared of that lady, scratch that, he's scared shitless of that woman. Renjun's aunt is known to be a scary woman, an icon of some sort, and Jaemin doesn't want to know what would happen if she caught them in her wine cellar.

"Relax, dude. She won't get mad I swear." Renjun answers as if reading his thoughts. Jaemin doesn't even notice he has tensed up. "Now, pick a bottle. My aunt's treat." Renjun laughs as if he's just told the funniest joke in the world. Jaemin laughs with him.

Jaemin looks unsure over to all the wines displayed. All the wines are expensive, most of them seem like special gifts Renjun's aunt has gotten over the years. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, come on! Just choose one!" So, naturally, Jaemin picks the first bottle he sees and hands it over to Renjun. Renjun opens the first bottle and takes the first sip, then hands over the bottle. "Here, take a sip."

The next half an hour or so is spent sharing the bottle, sitting on the floor next to each other, making some small talk. And Jaemin decides to do something reckless he should have done many years ago, like apologizing. He isn't even sure if Renjun's still mad about it since they seem to be talking in a completely normal way. But it doesn't sit right with him that there's something between them they haven't cleared yet.

"Injun," Jaemin calls out, and Renjun turns to look at him surprised. He's so close, and Jaemin catches himself looking way too much at Renjun's lips. Jaemin takes a breath. "You know, I'm really sorry for everything that happened." He doesn't need to explain himself anymore, Renjun knows as well as him what happened.

Renjun's eyes soften, his whole face softens. He takes another sip from the battle. "I'm really sorry too, Nana. It wasn't entirely your fault, I was an asshole too." Jaemin hasn't been called Nana in so long, only Renjun called him Nana when they were young. And with Renjun gone, the nickname stopped being used. 

"Yes, you were." Renjun looks at him offended. "Hey, watch it!" He slaps him in the arm, holding the bottle of wine in his arms. 

Jaemin takes the bottle from Renjun before the other boy can say anything, and downs all that's left in the bottle. He looks away, he can't meet Renjun's eyes. "But, you know I shouldn't have said I wanted you gone. Because then, you were actually gone and it all felt like it was my fault. And I really didn't want you gone, but I was angry. And then I missed you, so much. And…" Jaemin's rambling, he knows it. It's the alcohol, he always speaks way too much when he's drunk. Before he can process what's happening, Renjun's sitting in front of him instead of next to him and Renjun's lips are on his. Shutting him up.

Jaemin kisses him back. It's a bit lame actually, because they are both very drunk and Jaemin wasn't expecting the kiss at all. Renjun is the one to break the kiss, just exactly like he started it. "You were talking way too much." Renjun says, he's blushing hard and Jaemin smiles at the sight. He holds Renjun by the waist and makes him sit on his lap, which causes Renjun to blush even harder.

Jaemin leans in to kiss him again. Renjun kisses him back. Maybe alcohol and talking about feelings are good for something. They spend the next minutes making out until Renjun stops them and says.

"You know that you weren't the reason I transferred schools right? I had that transfer lined up for months, but you just gave me the perfect line to be petty. You know that, right?" Jaemin looks at the boy in his lap mortified, he did think for years he was the reason Renjun left Korea. "Oh my god, you really thought you were the reason I left. Oh my god." Renjun's full on laughing now.

Jaemin's never been more embarrassed in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> hi, i am so sorry this is the worst thing ever but pls dont be too harsh this is my first work ever and i had to rewrite this thing like 7 times bc nothing was making sense and the deadline was approaching. and i just spiralled from there and wrote this in one sitting like i do my school essays.
> 
> i hope yall enjoyed it tho or at least didnt throw up while u were reading this


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